2. Roadblock: "But I Believe in Science"

Big Idea: Faith and Science.

Reflect on the message

On Sunday, pastor Zach spoke on the topic of Faith and Science. As we go through the Gospel of Luke we will read many eyewitness testimonies of miracles like supernatural physical healing, angels appearing, and Jesus being raised from the dead. Many people have objections to the Gospel accounts because of the miracles. We're taking a week to address this roadblock and hope it will be helpful to you.

Start with prayer in asking Holy Spirit to teach us from His word and one another.

Read Luke 1:5-12

“5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

— Luke 1:5-12 (ESV)

Questions from this passage

1. What supernatural experiences or miracles are happening in this passage?

2. Have you ever personally struggled with reconciling science and faith, or known someone who has? What was that like for you?

Discussion

This is a rich topic and there is no way we can cover all the nuances in one brief discussion. Pastor Zach focused on a few common myths that are believed.

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.

— Genesis 8:22

“The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

— Psalm 19:1

In light of these passages, how can science be a vehicle of worshipping God?

Myth #2: Science is all you need for life.

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.

— MLK

How does this quote help illustrate that science, while important, isn’t all we need for life?

Myth #3: What do you do with miracles then?

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus’s miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.

— Tim Keller

What are common roadblocks you face in believing for miracles in your own life?

Response

Break into groups of two or three (guys with guys, girls with girls). Share one thing you want to apply to your life from tonight.